Quick-connecting coupler for hoses, pipes and faucets
A coupler for coupling an end of a hose to a mating end of a faucet or another hose. In the first embodiment, the female end of the coupler is mechanically locked in sealing engagement with a male end by simply translation thereof by means of wedges and an outer retaining sleeve. In a second embodiment, hydraulic pressure provides the final seal, with the female end being a spring split-ring locked and compressed by means of an outer locking sleeve, which outer locking sleeve is released by squeezing it in order to deform it. A third embodiment combines the first and second-embodiments.
This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/180,561, filed on Jun. 27, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,786,516.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a coupler for connecting a male-end of one hose or tube to a female end of another hose or tube. Examples of prior-art quick-connecting hose couplers are disclosed in Applicant's previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,503,437 and 5,788,289.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a quick-connecting hose coupler which is more facilely connected and disconnected.
It is also the primary objective of the present invention to provide a first embodiment where the hose coupler is locked in place by mechanical action.
It is also the primary objective of the present invention to provide a second embodiment where the hose coupler is locked in place by water pressure.
It is also the primary objective of the present invention to provide a coupler that has a female-end that provides a facile and secure reception of a threaded male-end of a hose, faucet, and the like.
In a first mechanical-locking embodiment, the coupler has a main frame, a collet mounted for slidable movement in the main frame, which collet comprises flexible thread-engaging means for engaging the threads of a male-portion of an element. An outer retaining member slides about the main frame, and telescopingly movable about the collet for preventing the flexible thread-engaging means from disengaging with the male-portion of an element. Inner retaining means are mounted by the main frame for relative sliding motion in the outer retaining member for holding the outer retaining member in a locking position. Sealing means are operatively associated with the main frame for providing a seal for threads of a male-end of an element. Means are provided for moving the collet and its flexible thread-engaging means toward and away from the sealing means.
In a second, hydraulically-locking embodiment, the female end is a spring split-ring locked and compressed by means of an outer locking sleeve, which outer locking sleeve is released by squeezing it in order to deform it. A third embodiment combines the first and second embodiments.
The invention will be more readily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown in
The main frame 12 also has a female-end, annular collar 40 with four radially-extending protrusions 42 axially aligned with the four distinct sections 22′, so that the spaces or gaps between the four perpendicularly-extending protrusions 42 are also aligned with the cavities or spaces 22″ between the wedge-shaped sections 22, whereby the end-portions of the claw-elements 32′ extend for sliding movement. The slidable, split, annular female end-member, or split collet, 32 has an interior annular surface edge-face consisting of sloping or canted surface face 44 and a second vertical or straight edge-face 44′. The compressible annular member or sleeve-member 20 has canted or sloped end edge-faces 52, 52′. The edge-face 52 cooperates with the vertical or straight edge-face 44′, while the end end-face 52′ cooperates with the sloping or canted surface face 44 of the retaining sleeve. The compressible annular member 20 has an outer surface that is at least partially grooved or threaded for cooperation with straight, or horizontal, perpendicular surface 50 that is also grooved or threaded for mating contact therewith for locking the outer retaining sleeve 30 in its extended state for keeping or holding the claw-elements in their engagement with the threads of a male-end or faucet, or the like.
Each wedge-member 26 defines an upper wedge-surface 60 that is engageable with the interior surface of the retaining sleeve 30, as best seen in
The hose-coupler 10 also has a conventional check valve 36 at the male-end portion 14, and a washer element 38 at the female end of the hose coupled, in the conventional manner for sealing engagement with the male-end of the hose or faucet received in the female-end of the hose-coupler 10, when there is a need for hydraulic sealing, it being understood that in those uses of the present invention where sealing is not required, the washer element 38 need not be provided.
The hose-coupler 10 operates as follows. A female-end of a first end of a hose, tube, or other device, is screwed onto the male-end of the coupler 10, when the coupler 10 is to be used to couple threaded ends together, it being understood that the coupler of the invention may be provided only with a female end, with the other end of the coupler being affixed to, or part of, another device to be attached to a threaded male-end of a hose, faucet, or the like. A male-end of another hose or of a faucet is then attached to the female-end of the hose-coupler 10 as follows. A male-end 64 (
In a preferred version, the wedge-surface 24 preferably is approximately 45 degrees, while the upper wedge-surface 60 preferably has an angle of approximately 10 degrees. The retaining sleeve has a total movement of 0.596 inches, while the total longitudinal movement of the collet is approximately 0.105 inches. The mechanical advantage is 6:1. The compression of the compressible member allows the additional approximate 0.065 in which is included in the total movement of 0.105 in.
In order to disengage and remove the male-end 64, the retaining sleeve 30 is moved in the opposite, rearward direction, toward the male-end 14, thus releasing the claw-elements, and thus expanding the compressible annular member 20, forcing the claw-elements forwardly, to push the wedges 26 outwardly and upwardly, whereby the tight seal with the washer element 38 is broken. The male-end 64 may then be easily pulled off, since the outer retaining sleeve no longer prevents such disengagement.
The advantages to this mechanical-operation hose coupler is that no turning or rotation is required to make the seal, and no piston member relying on water pressure for the washer element is required, or spring therefor is required. Installation is achieved by lateral movement, or pushing, only in the direction of the male-end of the hose or faucet, which is the very same direction that the female-end of the hose-coupler is being urged during coupling. Additionally, the claw-elements of the collet float or flex, which allows the threads in the claw-elements of the collet and on the male-end of the hose or faucet to align at all times, ensuring not only ease of attachment, but also ensuring that engagement between the threads will occur at all times for all movement of the collet. In addition, the mechanical advantage is considerable; whereas conventional units require 23 lbs. of force to seal against a hose washer, the hose-coupler 10 of the invention requires only 4 lbs.
The coupler 10 of the invention may also be provided without a male-end, in which case, just the collet with its female end for receiving a threaded male-end is provided. Such an embodiment would have relevance to a quick-connector attached to an item or device that is to be attached to any type of faucet, pipe, etc., whether it be a water faucet or other type.
Referring now to
Slidably mounted about the main tubular or cylindrical section 104′ is an outer releasing or unlocking sleeve or collet 120. The releasing sleeve 120 is slid backwardly, or rearwardly, or toward the male-end section 104 to expose the tabs 118 in order to allow them to expand fully when a male-end of a hose, faucet, pipe, or the like, is first inserted thereagainst, as best seen in
The releasing collet 120 is provided with a pair of exterior, radially-extending push-members 130 spaced 180 degrees apart. The collet 120 is formed with in an end-section 120″ that is relatively thicker than the thinner section 120′ of rest of the collet 120. Grooves or slits 136 are also provided in the thinner section to ensure that when the push-members 130 are squeezed, the thinner section 120′ flexes and becomes distorted into an approximately elliptical or oval shape. Formed on the outer surface of the main tubular or cylindrical section 104′ of main body portion 102, as can be seen in
Referring now to
The coupler 200 is operated as follows. The coupler in its opened, disengaged state is as that shown in
The coupler of the invention may be used on tapered pipes, such as line-pipe connections and pipe connections used in the oil and gas industry, etc. Moreover, instead of using wedges for providing mechanical advantage, there may be used instead ball-shape rollers, fulcrums, lever, cam, rack and pinion/gear, leverage device and any mechanism that develops mechanical advantage.
The quick-connector of the invention may also be used for the assembling of pipe framing, such as tent poles and scaffolding, etc., where no sealing is required. In this case, no sealing washer or the like is provided nor used.
In addition to coupling to a threaded male-end, either the mechanical or hydraulic quick connector of the invention may be connected to a pipe provided with a groove or cut-out on its outer diameter to receive a non-threaded quick-connector of either of the mechanical and hydraulic versions of the invention. In this case, the female-end of the coupler is provided without threads to receive the non-threaded pipe-end which has a groove or lip thereof
Although not shown, the coupler of
Referring now to
In use, the coupler 300 operates as follows. The collet 332 is initially inserted into a female-end of a hose, tube, pipe, or other device. This initial connection collapses or interiorly compresses the claw-elements or flexible engaging means 332′ to provide an initial coupling. After this, the locking sleeve or retaining member 330 is moved toward the collet 332, or to the right when viewing
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A coupler having a male end for connection to a female end of an element, comprising:
- a main frame;
- a collet mounted for slidable movement by said main frame, said collet comprising flexible engaging means for engaging a cooperating portion of a female end of an element to be coupled thereto;
- a retaining member mounted for sliding movement relative to said main frame, said retaining member being at least partially telescopingly movable relative to said collet and comprising prevention means for preventing said flexible engaging means from disengaging with a female end of another element to be coupled thereto;
- a retaining means mounted by said main frame for relative sliding motion with respect to said retaining member, said retaining means capable of retaining said retaining member in a retained position;
- means for translating said flexible engaging means of said collet;
- said means for translating being in operative association with said collet and said retaining member for alternatively moving said collet in a first direction and in a second direction;
- each of said flexible engaging means being capable of mating engagement with a female-end of another element to be coupled;
- said prevention means comprising a canted surface, each of said flexible engaging means of said collet comprising a mating canted surface for cooperative engagement with said canted surface of said prevention means for expanding said flexible engaging means outwardly into engagement with a female-end of an element to be coupled when said retaining member is moved relative to said collet.
2. The coupler according to claim 1,
- wherein said main frame comprises a seat at said collet for seating against a sealing element of a female-end of another element to be coupled to thereagainst; said means for translating cooperating with said main frame for moving said main frame body portion, and therefore said seat, in a direction away from said means for translating, whereby said seat is sealable against a sealing element in a female end of an element to be coupled to.
3. A coupler having a male-end for connection to a female end of another element, comprising:
- a main body portion;
- a collet mounted for slidable movement relative to said main body portion, said collet comprising flexible engaging means for engaging with a female end of another element to be coupled thereto;
- an outer retaining member mounted for sliding relative to said main body portion, said outer retaining member being at least partially telescopingly movable about said collet and comprising prevention means for preventing said flexible engaging means from disengaging with a female end of another element to be coupled;
- retaining means capable of holding said outer retaining member in a locking position; and
- means for translating said flexible engaging means of said collet toward and away from said main body portion;
- each of said flexible engaging means being capable of mating engagement with a female-end of another element to be coupled; said prevention means comprising a canted surface; each of said flexible engaging means of said collet also comprising a canted surface for cooperative engagement with the canted surface of said prevention means for expanding said flexible engaging means outwardly into engagement with a female-end of another element to be coupled when said retaining member is moved relative to said collet.
4. The coupler according to claim 3,
- wherein said main body portion comprises a seat at said collet for seating against a sealing element of a female-end of another element to be coupled to thereagainst; said means
- for translating cooperating with said main body portion for moving said main body portion, and therefore said seat, in a direction away from said means for translating, whereby said seat is sealable against a sealing element in a female end of an element to be coupled to.
5. A method of coupling a male-end of an element to a female-end of another element, which coupler comprises a main body portion having a first end and a second end comprising:
- (a) inserting a female-end partially about a flexible, floating collet having mating engaging means for the female-end;
- (b) said step (a) comprising pushing the female-end to cause the engaging means of the collet to initially engage with cooperating means of the female-end and for moving the collet a first lateral distance by contact of the collet against a limit-stop;
- (c) after said step (b), allowing the collet additional lateral movement;
- (d) said step (c) comprising moving the limit stop a distance that allows said additional lateral movement;
- (e) substantially simultaneously moving said collet a further distance as defined by said step (d) in a first direction and said second end of said main body portion in the opposite direction;
- (f) said step (e) sealing said second end of said main body portion against a sealing member in the female-end of the other element.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step (d) comprises compressing a compressible member that engages with said collet.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said step of compressing comprises initially sliding an outer retaining member about the compressible member; said method farther comprising retaining said collet in its engaged sealing state with the female-end, said step of retaining comprising additionally sliding said outer retaining member for lockingly engaging the outer retaining member.
1297719 | March 1919 | Myers |
1315784 | September 1919 | Levitt |
1927582 | September 1933 | Denk |
1966278 | July 1934 | Barks et al. |
2098514 | November 1937 | Nord |
2259137 | October 1941 | Iftiger, Sr. |
2327714 | August 1943 | Iftiger, Sr. |
2383692 | August 1945 | Smith |
2388179 | October 1945 | Prowd |
2705652 | April 1955 | Kaiser |
3168333 | February 1965 | Dziura |
3394950 | July 1968 | Jensen |
4433859 | February 28, 1984 | Driver et al. |
4660803 | April 28, 1987 | Johnston et al. |
4856823 | August 15, 1989 | Heren |
5112087 | May 12, 1992 | Haruki |
5118140 | June 2, 1992 | Racine et al. |
5150924 | September 29, 1992 | Yokomatsu et al. |
5209528 | May 11, 1993 | Weh et al. |
5217039 | June 8, 1993 | Hoeptner, III |
5503437 | April 2, 1996 | Cronley |
5649723 | July 22, 1997 | Larsson |
5788289 | August 4, 1998 | Cronley |
6786516 | September 7, 2004 | Cronley |
Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 29, 2003
Date of Patent: Nov 28, 2006
Patent Publication Number: 20040164547
Inventor: Gerald Cronley (Gretna, LA)
Primary Examiner: James M. Hewitt
Attorney: Milton S. Gerstein
Application Number: 10/746,508
International Classification: F16L 21/06 (20060101);